Container and spout construction



Dec. 28, 1937. s. o. CONNER CONTAINER AND SPOUT CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct.1, i955 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 28, 1937 UNITED STATES CONTAINER ANDSPOUT CONSTRUCTION Guy 0. Conner, Wheeling, W. Va., assignor to WheelingSteel Corporation, Wheeling, W. Va., a corporation of DelawareApplication October 1, 1935, Serial No. 43,070

6 Claims.

This invention relates to containers and spout constructions therefor.It relates more particularly to cooperating container and spoutconstructions in which the spout is removable and I reversible. Incertain of its aspects the-invention is in the nature of an improvementover the invention claimed in my copending application Serial No.43,069, filed of even date herewith.

In my said copending application there is disclosed a container andspout construction in which the removable and reversible spout isprovided at its'bas with two oppositely facing gaskets, one adapted forcooperation with the container when the spout is in operative positionand u the other adapted for cooperation with the container when thespout is in inoperative position. Such a structure is preferred forcertain uses. However, in some cases, and particularly when the spout islikely to be roughly handled or when '0 there is a likelihood that thespout will be changed back and forth between operative and inoperativepositions from time to time during use, the construction of my saidcopending application has certain disadvantages. Although 28 thegasketsare securely attached to the spout, it is possible if the spoutis not properly handled for one or both of the gaskets to becomeseparated from the spout and either damaged or lost. Moreover, theprovision and attachment 80 to the spout of the two separate gaskets,one on each side of the spout flange, entails appreciable expense whichis felt in the cost of the container.

I have provided a container and spout construction which is relativelyinexpensive to 85 manufacture, and which, consequently, may be .sold ata lower price, in which only a single gasket is used. Such gasket ispreferably attached to the container rather than to the spout, the spoutsimply comprising the spout body with 40 a flange connected therewith.The single gasket is not likely to become disconnected from thecontainer in use and it cooperates effectively with the spout in bothoperative and inoperative positions to effect a seal between thecontainer and a 45 spout.

For purposes of explanation and illustration the invention will bedescribed as embodied in a sheet metal container, such as a -gallon can,having an outwardly projecting hollow threaded neck or discharge portionto which the gasket is applied and over which a cap is adapted to bescrewed to hold the spout in place in either position of the latter.Whenthe container is initially filled at the filling point thespout isapplied 55 in the inoperative position and the cap tightened downthereover with a tool which applies the cap more tightly than it couldordinarily be applied simply by hand to insure against leakage. When itis later desired to dispense the contents of the container the cap isunscrewed and the 5 spout inverted and the cap screwed on by hand,

as ordinarily the user will not be provided with a tool for tightlyapplying the cap. In the construction of my said copending applicationthe gasket which cooperates with the container when 10 the spout isapplied in inoperative position is preferably of relatively hardmaterial to withstand the relatively great pressure exerted thereon whenthe cap is applied by means of the tool above mentioned, and the gasketwhich coopcrates with the container when the spout is applied inoperative position is preferably made of relatively soft material toenable effective sealing of the container when the cap is applied byhand after the spout has been inverted. When only a single gasket isprovided, compensation for the varying pressures with which the cap isapplied under the respective conditions mentioned must be provided forotherwise than by the provision of relatively soft and relatively hardgaskets as in my said copending application. I preferably so design thespout. that it presents a greater surface area for contact with thegasket when the spout is in inoperative position than when the spout isin operative position. Thus when the cap is relatively tightly appliedby use of the tool the greater area of contact between the spout and thegasket results in proper sealing of the container without damage to thegasket, whereas when the spout is in operative position the smaller areaof contact between the. spout and gasket insures effective sealing underthe relatively low pressure exerted when the cap is applied by hand.

In a construction of the type referred to above the cap is preferablyperforated so that when the spout is in operative position it extendsthrough the hole in the cap. When the container is initially filled andthe spout applied in inoperative position the hole in the cap ispreferably covered by alight sheet metal disc as disclosed in my saidcopending application, and in the construction of said application suchdisc cooperates with the outer gasket to eflectively seal the spoutagainst leakage of contents of the container through the spout when thespout is in inoperative position. However, when only a single gasketattached to the container is used there is no gasket effective betweenthe spout and disc when the spout is in inoperative position, and

in order to prevent leakage through the spout it is necessary to provideadditional means for sealing the spout. I preferably provideliquid-tight means closing the mouth of the spout, as will I presentlybe described.

I also provide a spout of improved design having a portion adjacent itsmouth disposed at an angle to the contiguous portion nearer the base ofthe spout to facilitate pouring, as will also be described.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent as the following description of certain present preferredembodiments thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown certain present preferredembodiments of the invention, in which Figure 1 is a partial centralvertical cross-sectional view through a container and spout constructionwith the spout in inoperative position;

Figure 2 is a partial central vertical crosssectional view similar toFigure l but showing the spout in operative position;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary central vertical cross-sectional view tofurther enlarged scale of a portion of the construction shown in Figures1 and 2; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary central vertical crosssectional view through aportion of a spout of modified construction.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, there is shown acontainer 2 which may, for example, be an ordinary sheet metal 5-galloncan or pail having a top 3 seamed thereto at 4.

Seamed to the top 3 at 5 is an upwardly projecting hollow neck 6 formingthe discharge portion of the container and which is externally threadedat 1. At its upper extremity the material of the discharge portion 6 isturned inwardly as shown at 8 and then upwardly and outwardly as shownat 9 so as to clinch in place an annular gasket l0 which lies on therelatively flat portion 8. As will be seen by reference to Figures 1 and2, the gasket II is securely maintained in place with respect to thecontainer and there is little likelihood of its becoming separatedtherefrom.

There is provided a spout designated generally by reference numeral IIand which comprises a body portion l2, a base portion l3 and a mouthportion H. The base portion ii of the spout comprises an annular flangel5 surrounding the lower part of the spout,'which is turned outwardlybeneath the flange as shown at IS, the flange and body portion of thespout being soldered together as shown at H. The flange is preferablycorrugated as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, having a single downwardbearing portion l8 and two upward bearing portions I 9 (it beingremembered that in Figures 1 and 3 the spout is inverted).

When the spout is in operative position as shown in Figure 2 the singlebearing portion l8 cooperates with the gasket III, and when the spout isin inoperative position as shown in Figure 1 the two bearing portions 19cooperate with the gasket. Thus the area of contact between the spoutand the gasket is substantially twice as great when the spout is ininoperative position as when it is in operative position, whichcompensates for the relatively great pressure with which the spout ispressed against the gasket when in inoperative position and therelatively light pressure with which the spout is pressed against thegasket when in operative position,

as the greater the surface of contact between the spout and gasket theless tendency there will be for pressure therebetween to cause thehearing means on the spout to penetrate the gasket upon the applicationof a given pressure. Hence a greater pressure can be applied when thespout is in inoperative position, resulting in very tight sealing of thecontainer without damage to the gasket, than will be applied when thespout is in operative position, but due to the relatively limited areaof contact between the spout and gasket when the spout is in operativeposition the container will still be effectively sealed.

Cooperating with the threaded neck 6 is an internally threaded sheetmetal cap 20 having a hole 2| in its top and which is adapted to pressthe flange of the spout against the gasket to seal the container ineither position of the spout. When the spout is in operative position asshown in Figure 2 it extends through the hole in the cap. When the spoutis in inoperative position as shown in Figure l a thin sheet metal disc22 closes the hole in the cap and the periphery of such disc isinterposed between the cap and the flange of the spout as shown. Theperiphery of the disc 22 has alternate continuous annular upper andlower portions 23, 24 and 25, respectively, arranged in order from thecenter of the disc outwardly so that the disc cooperates with the flangeas clearly' shown in Figure l and the cap is similarly formed tocooperate with the disc and flange as shown. The cap likewise cooperateswith the flange alone when the disc is removed and the spout inverted asshown in Figure 2. The cooperative designing of the flange of the spout,the disc and the cap insures effective bearing contact therebetween atall times.

When the spout is in inoperative position, as shown in Figure 1,provision must be made against leakage of the contents of the containerthrough the spout and out between the spout flange and disc and thenceto the outside either between the disc and cap or between the neck andcap. This is because when only a single gasket is used no, 5

provision is made at the base of the spout for sealing the insidethereof when in inoperative position. The mouth portion H of the spoutis externally threaded, as shown at 26, and its extremity is inwardlyturned, as shown at 21. Likewise, the mouth portion of the spout extendsat an angle to the body portion thereof as shown. Preferably the axis ofthe mouth portion of the spout is coplanar with and intersects the axisof the body portion of the spout, which facilitates pouring. I flnd itpreferable to form the mouth portion of the spout of a separate piece ofmetal and solder the same to the body portion at 28, although the mouthportion may be integral with 'the body portion if desired. The fact thatthe mouth portion is to extend at an angle to the body portion and isalso to be threaded makes it more expedient to separately form and applythe mouth portion. A cap 29 containing a gasket 30 is applied to themouth portion of the spout and maintains the same liquid-tight so thatthe contents of the container cannot leak out through the spout when thespout is in inoperative position, or, for that matter, when it is inoperative position. The particular shape of the spout as above describedis of particular advantage in facilitating the pouring out of thecontents of the container, enabling the same to be more readily directedas desired and making possible more accurate control of the quantity ofliquid poured out at any one time due to the relatively great angularitybetween the axis of the mouth portion of the spout and the axis of thecontainer.

5 In Figure 4 there is shown a modified spout structure in which thebody of the spout is designated by reference numeral 3i and the mouthportion by reference numeral 32. In this figure the body and mouthportions of the spout are integral, being drawn from a single piece ofmetal. Moreover, the mouth of the spout is initially closed by anintegral diaphragm 33 of thematerial of the spout, which is adapted tobe ruptured when the spout is put in use. This provides a perfect sealagainst leakage through the spout when the spout is in inoperativeposition, no reliance being placed on tight application of the spout capor the eflectiveness of the spout cap gasket. As it is most importantthat the interior of the spout be sealed between the time the containeris initially filled at the filling point and the time the user firstwishes to dispense a portion of its contents, it is not essential, ifthe form of Figure 4 is used, to provide a liquidtight cap or any cap atall, although ordinarily at least a dust cap' is desirable. In Figure 4the cap 34 is shown as being similar to the cap." of Figures 1 and 2 andis provided with a gasket 35. An integral diaphragm similar to thediaphragni 33 may be provided in a separate mouth portion and such mouthportion may-be attached to the body portion of the spout if it isdesired not to draw the body and mouth portions out of a single piece ofmetal. 35 While I have shown and described certain present preferredembodiments of the invention, it is I to be distinctly understood thatthe same is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodiedwithin the scope of the following claims.

I claim: 1. In combination, a container having a discharge opening andhaving a gasket connected therewith adjacent the discharge opening and a4,5 reversible spout having a flange having reentrant sealing portionsadapted to engage the gasket in sealing relationship in either positionof the spout.

2. In combination a container having a disso charge opening and having agasket connected therewith adjacent the discharge opening and areversible spout having a flange having means generally of V-shape incross-section projecting from both faces thereof to engage the gasket insealing relationship in either position of the 5 spout.

3. In combination, a container having a discharge opening and having agasket connected therewith adjacent the discharge opening and areversible spout having means for sealing coop- 1o eration with thegasket in either position of the spout, such means comprising a greaternumber of sealing portions presenting greater total surface area forcontact with the gasket when the spout is in inoperative position thanwhen the 16 spout .is in operative position.

4. In combination, a container having a discharge opening and having agasket connected therewith adjacent the discharge opening and areversible spout having a corrugated flange the 20 extremities of thecorrugations of which are adapted to engage the gasket in sealingrelationship in either position of the spout.

5. A container having an opening, the material adjacent such openingbeing reversely turned 2 transversely of the axis of the opening to forma gasket receiving portion, a gasket held in such gasket receivingportion, means adapted to be sealed to the container about the openingand having a portion engaging the gasket at a point 30 transverselyoifset from said reversely turned material, and means for positivelyforcing said last mentioned means against the gasket.

6. A container having an. opening, the material adjacent such openingextending substan- 35 tially in a plane generally perpendicular to theaxis of the opening and then being reversely turned to form a gasketreceiving portion, a gasket held in such gasket receiving portion andlying on said substantially plane portion of the container, and meansadapted to be sealed to the container about the opening and having aprotruding portion engaging a portion oi the gasket lying on saidsubstantially plane portion of the 4 container, said protruding portionof said last mentioned means having its extremity positioned directlyopposite said substantially plane portion of the container.

' GUY 0. CORNER. go

